


The Marriage Contract

by breadnbutter2



Category: SubZero (Webcomic)
Genre: Angsty Aaron, Bisexual! Kharis, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Intimacy, Loss of Virginity, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:34:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23749222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breadnbutter2/pseuds/breadnbutter2
Summary: Picking up from ep. 63, Clove decides it's time for her and Kyro to discuss the terms of their marriage.“Growing up I never imagined that I would marry someone so foreign to me. I don’t know about you, but I always thought I would marry for love. Foolish maybe, but now that we are here; what kind of marriage do you intend this to be? What kind of husband will I have?”**SPOILERS AHEAD**
Relationships: Clove/Kyro (SubZero), Kharis/Nouren (SubZero)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 149





	1. Dinner for Two

Clove shivers as Kyro’s lips press against her forehead, his body wrapped around hers in a way that is strangely more intimate than their previous evening together. She remembers with a shudder the images that sprang to mind the night before their wedding; of them in bed, his lips on hers, their bodies intertwined. A blush colors her cheeks and she feels a sudden need for personal space.

“Kyro… I should go talk to the elders,” Clove manages to whisper as she disentangles herself from his grasp. She steps away, biting her tongue as she notices his expression. The more time they spend together, the easier she finds it to read him. He looks disappointed, and truth be told, a part of her is too. Still, she can’t imagine what might happen if they were to stay locked in that embrace. She can’t help but recall what she said to Aaron the night before her wedding: _I feel drawn to him_. Like a mantra, these words repeat in a loop in the back of her head, insistent. Impossible to ignore. They push her to acknowledge that the way she cares about Kyro is only growing, especially after the emotionally charged night they just shared.

“Of course. Do what you need to. If you need me, I’ll be smoothing things over with the Generals.” Kyro’s eyes are soft as they hold her gaze. Appreciation blossoms in her chest, encouraging her to speak her mind.

“You once told me that nothing should be assumed between us, and I want that to hold true. Would you join me for dinner tonight? So we can talk more about this… alliance we have entered in together?” She bites her lip as the nerves kick in - is she being too forward? - and waits for a response.

A pause, then “Of course, my princess”. She smiles up at him gratefully, pausing to squeeze his hand briefly with her own before taking her leave.

As she walks away, head held high, he almost doesn’t notice the slight tremble in her hands. _Was she nervous? How cute._ He has to admit, he’s looking forward to that meal. Maybe there are a few things he’s ready to talk about with her too.

***

She arranges for them to have dinner in their chambers, with the hope of maximizing their chances at a private conversation. When she arrives, she finds the room empty save for a decadent spread of food laid out on a low table decorated with burgundy silk cloth. Clove finds her way to one of the two cushioned seats and begins to relax when Kyro arrives.

His amber eyes appear to light up as soon as they meet hers, and he spares her a small smile before striding across the room to the large dresser. With scarcely a pause, his hands fly to his shoulders and he begins to disrobe.

“Feel free to start without me, I need a moment to change.” There’s a hint of teasing in his tone that makes Clove realize she’s been staring-- and he noticed. She inhales sharply, forcing herself to drag her eyes away from his toned back and towards her plate. An unfamiliar heat sparks in her lower belly and she finds herself anxious to move as far away from him as possible.

 _Is this how he always is? Undressing without a second thought as to who can see him?_ Annoyed at how flustered she has become, Clove makes a silent note to herself to bring up bedroom manners during this meal. When he finally appears at the table, he has changed into a dark silken robe with a golden dragon imprint on it. His eyes meet hers in a knowing way, and she breaks eye contact first.

Hungrily, they tuck into their food and it’s only after a few minutes have passed that the silence is broken.

“So what is it that you wanted to discuss, my princess?” Kyro’s amber eyes bear into hers intensely, seeking answers.

Taking a deep breath, Clove exhales and begins. “I never got the chance to apologize for not sharing the truth with you-”

“There is no need to apologize. Why would you have trusted the Crimson Dragon with such information? I am, after all, your sworn enemy.” He smiled indulgently at her, lifting up his cup of sake and drinking it down in one smooth gulp.

“That may be true, but if this alliance is going to work, we must learn to trust each other. I know we haven’t had much opportunity to get to know each other, but I intend to remedy this.”

“Oh? And what do you propose, princess?” Kyro’s eyebrow drew up in curiosity.

“Growing up I never imagined that I would marry someone so foreign to me. I don’t know about you, but I always thought I would marry for love. Foolish maybe, but now that we are here; what kind of marriage do you intend this to be? What kind of husband will I have?” Clove’s azule eyes glow slightly in that moment as if she had issued him a challenge.

“Fair enough, princess, I can’t say I pictured this for myself either. In truth I have never given much thought to whom I would rule with. As you no doubt overheard, I dated General Rei for quite some time. I suppose you could say that I learned what I don’t want in a wife from that relationship.” Kyro shifts in his seat, the skin around his eyes glowing scarlet for a moment before he exhales forcefully, as if willing away his past.

“As for what kind of husband I will be, I cannot say. You know what kind of man I am. I will never hurt you. I will treat you as my equal, and I will never undermine your power in front of our people.” Before Clove can respond, Kyro interjects again.

“And what of Headband? Is he the imaginary husband of your dreams?”

Clove flinchs guiltily, but she saw it coming and she’s prepared to answer this time.

“Yes and no. You asked me when we first met and I lied to you- but then, I was lying to myself. I have loved Aaron since I first laid eyes on him training. So yes, in a way, I suppose I had hoped to marry him. He has been by my side protecting me for so many years, it’s hard to imagine life without him. But… I’m not the little girl on the training field anymore. I’m a woman of my word, and I swear to you, there is nothing there. Besides… there are worse things in life than to marry a dragon,” Clove remarks, shooting him a small smile.

Kyro stares at her, considering. She seemed certain, a defiant air about her as if daring him to question her. He sighs, remembering how much pain his own relationship had caused him. No, he won’t push her to say more, not now anyways.

“Well then, I believe your word. But should there ever be anything that does arise… I trust that I would hear it from you, and not the palace maids.” Satisfied, Kyro leans back on his cushion and refills his drink. He moves to fill Clove’s cup and she lets him, looking at him uncertainly. The unspoken accusation you know I don’t drink hangs in the air and Kyro raises an eyebrow at her.

“Toast with me, princess. To our alliance- may it bring the peace our nations need, and hope for a better future.” Clinking their cups together, they drink deeply. Clove attempts to match him and ends up sputtering, choking slighly on her drink as an unfamiliar taste burns down her throat.

“What is this? I’ve never had anything like it before.”

“I didn’t realize you were a connoisseur of local alcohol,” Kyro teases, leaning across the table and letting his chin rest on his hands.

A giggle slips out of Clove’s mouth and she rolls her eyes lightly, putting the drink back down on the table.

“I guess next time you’ll have to bring me something sweet to make it go down easier…” Clove’s eyes rake up and down Kyro’s chest, feeling strangely powerful when she realizes he’s looking her up and down in return. Tension fills the air between them, not for the first time, and biting her lip Clove reminds herself that she didn’t call this dinner just to stare at her new husband. Even if he did look undeniably handsome as he smirked across the table at her.

“I propose that we draw up our own agreement. A marriage contract, if you will. We have made so many promises to our people, but none of them have involved what we owe to each other.” Clove stops, waiting for him to interrupt her, and when he doesn’t she continues. “First there’s the matter of how we can support each other. I can’t say I completely trust you and I would bet you feel the same. But you did save my life and you have treated me with kindness at every turn. Earlier, you said that I needed to focus on my own burdens before I focus on yours. Well, I disagree. If we are to be partners in politics, then we should be partners in all other arenas as well. I want to know what troubles you; I cannot help you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

Kyro felt a pang in his chest at her words. How could a woman he’d only known for a few weeks, a blue-eyed Cerulean Princess at that, seem to care about him more than Rei had in the expanse of years?

“Princess, I appreciate your concern, but how are you going to grow your dragon bond if you are worrying about the intricacies of Crimson politics? Much less my feelings about them. This may all be new to you, but please remember that this is my life. I’ve handled everything so far just fine on my own.”

“I’m sure you have, but I know how lonely that life is. I have lived it too, and I don’t ever want to go back. Who else can I discuss dragons with, if not you? Who else can I share the pain and surprising joy of arranged marriage with? I understand what I’m asking of you will not be natural at first, but neither is being asked to consummate our marriage publicly. We are placed in impossible situations every day. Is it really so hard to imagine letting me into your life, the way I have let you into mine?” The truth of her words hits Kyro slowly, and he feels his defenses lowering as her earnestness becomes increasingly apparent.

“I see your point, Clove. I will try to remember that you are more than an ally. Is that all? Or was there more?”

Blushing, Clove nods her head slowly and forces herself to bring up the topic weighing most heavily on her mind after last night.

“Kyro, your mother is right. We will have to produce an heir if we intend to secure this alliance.”

* * *

Author's Note:

The original creator of this WebToon is Junepurrr, I do not own these characters or this universe.

Y'all there is a surprising dearth of SubZero fan fiction out in the world!! I haven't written fan fiction in literal years, but after binging SubZero in a night I needed more. I'm not sure yet how long this will be, but it's definitely a ~slow burn~ like the comic.


	2. Terms and Conditions

“Kyro, your mother is right. We will have to produce an heir if we intend to secure this alliance.”

This time it’s his turn to choke on his drink. The sake burns as it goes back up his throat and he blinks tears back. Throat rough from his coughing fit, Kyro manages to get a hold of himself and bends closer to her over the table.

“Why princess, I didn’t realize you were so eager to get into bed with me. Can’t get enough of this pretty face, can you?” Kyro forces himself to speak lightly, hoping she can’t hear the surprise in his voice.

Two can play that game. Clove pushes herself up from her seat and inches across the table towards him, her breasts pushing up against her shirt.

“I’m not sure what you mean… I’m simply discussing our duties. Your face has nothing to do with it.” She catches his eyes dropping down to her chest and smirks, feeling powerful. Then her shoulders relax and she falls back to her cushion.

“Kyro, we may have succeeded in throwing the elders off our trail a few days ago but you know as well as I that we won’t be able to do so in the future. Now I’m sure you’ve had… experience before with this, but I haven’t,” Clove’s voice cracks as she admits her insecurity. There. She said it. Would he tease her, she wondered? Or… no, when she brings her gaze up she realizes his eyes have softened again and he isn’t smiling his teasing smile.

“Princess, I don’t care what the elders expect. You’ve sacrificed more than enough for this alliance, and I’ll move at your pace. Besides, until we both are fully healed, sex is off the table. I’m not interested in re-opening our wounds,” Kyro remarks dryly, hand subconsciously flying to his left shoulder where the dagger had driven into him.

Clove blinks, a hot blush rising to her cheeks at the word “sex”. She has never heard anyone say that word so boldly, but she likes how it sounds in Kyro’s mouth. She wonders if the wounds are only an excuse or if he’s genuinely uninterested in bedding her. The thought makes her flinch as she finds herself increasingly drawn to him, wanting to explore the desires suddenly appearing in her mind.

An unbidden whisper leaves her lips, “What if I want to?”

Kyro’s amber eyes smolder into hers, the room physically heating a few degrees as red lines outline his eyes. And then, with a cheeky grin, he leans back into his cushion and raises his arms to cross behind his neck.

“Then you have to earn it. I’m not giving it up that easy, princess,” he teases. “For starters, you need to start studying. This alliance will crumble if anyone realizes that you can’t shift.”

Clove blinks, caught off guard by his redirection.

“You’re right… but I will need your help. What happened that night, Kyro? Why is your dragon in my dreams?” Clove’s voice is so earnest it hurts and Kyro darts his eyes away from hers, embarrassment rising up in him. _How have I still not told her we kissed??_

“You were dying Princess, cold to the touch. The Crimson Dragon told me that the only way to save you was to shift into your subconscious-”

Clove cut him off. “But how did you shift into my subconscious?”

A pause. Kyro’s face lights up and Clove stares at him, fascinated. _Is he nervous?_

“I had to kiss you, princess.” Clove’s mouth drops open in surprise and she shifts slightly, moving around the curved table to rest by Kyro’s side.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She murmurs, fingers on the table drawing slow circles near his hand. Not quite close enough to touch.

“I was going to, but we kept getting interrupted. You know how it is here. Privacy, a foreign concept.”

Clove smiles wryly in understanding, then moves her hand to clasp his. She squeezes, hoping that can convey everything she wants him to know: _It’s okay, I’m not upset, I understand._

Kyro swallows, his throat suddenly dry when Clove touches him. “There’s more. When we were there, I met the Azure Dragon. She was protecting you, but something was wrong. She tried… well, she tried to kill you.”

Clove recoils, shock written over her face. “What? Why would she do that?”

“She spoke bitterly about the war and the possibility that it might end. She believes that the suffering you and your ancestors have endured as vessels for the dragon is no longer worthwhile. I suppose she thought she would be putting you out of your misery,” Kyro attempts to convey this as gently as possible, but he suspects that Clove will be devastated either way. Considering his mother had said the dragon developed separately from her, this news was sure to make her feel even more distant from her ancestor.

Clove licks her lips, processing what Kyro just told her. _What would make her think peace is unattainable? She’s never even spoken to me! Why would she give up like that…_

“What happened? How did I make it out?” demands Clove, anxious for an answer.

“The Crimson Dragon stepped in to attack her and that’s how I managed to save you and take you back with me to reality,” Kyro admits, a weight lifting from his chest as he finally shares with her the truth of their dreamlike encounter. Clove’s fingers tighten around his hand, mimicking her face as it narrows with concern.

“Kyro, how am I going to form a bond with a dragon that wants to kill me? First I lost control in the dungeons with the prisoner, then I have these crazy dreams with the Azure Dragon attacking the Crimson Dragon, then you tell me this… I’m worried. What if I can’t control my outbursts? What if I ruin this alliance?” Her voice trembles as she stares fixedly at a wrinkle in the table cloth. Admitting her worries to Kyro feels equal parts nerve-wracking, relieving, and dangerous. _He’s my husband now. If I can’t trust him, then who can I trust?_

“Clove,” Kyro’s solemn voice breaks through her nervous thoughts, his hands coming up to clasp her face tightly. “You’re not alone in this. You have my mother, my sister, and me to help you through this. You’re part of the dragon family now, and no dragon will bear you harm.”

“I want that in writing,” Clove jokes, trying not to show how deeply Kyro’s words have affected her. Kyro’s hands drop, leaving her face slightly warm where they touched her. She’s never had people who understood her before, not after her mother died. _You had Aaron_ … no, not anymore, everything has changed now and Clove finds herself once again grateful to have Kyro by her side.

“Sure princess, whatever helps you sleep at night. You want a marriage contract? I’ll give it to you. First clause, I get my own bed.”

At Clove’s raised eyebrow, Kyro laughs and says “What? You take up a lot of space!”

His face flushes as he remembers her breasts in his face, her sleepy innocence and insistent hands pulling him close.

“Okay, give me something to write with then,” she calls him on his joke, expecting him to divert the conversation again. Instead, he stands up, walking across the room to a desk she previously hadn’t noticed and opening a drawer to pull out an ornate pen and beige scroll.

“I wasn’t serious, I-”

“Shh, princess, if I can speak my vows in front of hundreds for you then I can surely write down a few promises to you,” Kyro cuts her off before she can retract her previous statement. I will do this for you, his eyes seem to say.

She picks up the pen from him when he reaches the table, pushing aside their plates to clear space for the scroll. Her hand hovers over the paper briefly, and then she is writing slow, curling loops. Kyro looks on, mesmerized by her beautiful handwriting. _If we ever have to write a public decry, I know who I’m having write it._

 **Marriage Contract** _  
1\. No secrets between us.  
2\. Share the burden, support each other.  
3\. Move at our own pace in private._

“I like that one. Care to elaborate?” Kyro points to the third clause, careful not to smudge the drying ink.

“The pace of this marriage so far has been set for us by our obligations to this alliance. I would prefer if the rest of our relationship could be something we choose, together,” Clove states, determined to hide her nerves and hold her ground. Kyro tilts his head in consideration and then nods firmly.

“I can agree to those terms…” he sighs, his words filling the space between them. Clove feels her heart beating faster, hope filling her chest at his easy acquiescence.

“Let’s seal it with a kiss,” Kyro whispers into her ear, and she stares up at him in a daze. _A kiss?_

It hasn't really occurred to her that this might be something she would want to do. Or, maybe that’s not true. She has thought before of his lips, how firm they might be, how his tongue might fill her mouth… she never lets herself finish that train of thought because if she did, she wouldn’t get any rest. But his words spark desire in her and she finds she wants him now. The fire rages in her belly, pushing her up to claim his lips. He makes a noise deep in his throat, the sound tingling down her spine and kisses her back. Her lips part further as his tongue sweeps into her mouth and she finds herself craving more. His hand cups her cheek gently, at odds with the way his tongue dominates her mouth and she lets a whimper escape her mouth. The sound seems to snap Kyro out of the moment, and he retreats, mouth still wet from kissing her. She gazes at his face, touched by the tender expression there.

“Let’s go to bed, princess,” and with that Kyro strides away to the bed chambers, as if he hadn’t been claiming her mouth mere moments before. Clove presses her hand to her lips in wonder, feeling both turned on and nervous by this turn of events.

***

The trees are thick here, Aaron notices, clustered closely together with dark green leaves sheltering him from the last few rays of sunlight. He shivers as the wind picks up slightly and asks himself for the millionth time why he came. _What am I doing here? What do I think I’m going to accomplish by talking to the Grand Marshall?_ He feels vaguely ashamed but his thirst for answers roots his legs to the mossy, overgrown path. He needs to know why the Grand Marshall praised him after their fight, what he thinks about the Crimson Dragon, how this is all related to Clove - because, in his gut, he _knows_ it’s related to her.

He’s never been to this part of the palace grounds before and he finds himself shifting uncomfortably, remembering the desperate race to find Clove when she had been captured. That night was so dark, and he was so afraid of what he would find… if she would be dead or alive. The terrible days of waiting, and then he found her in her room only for her to tell him that she was finding it in her heart to love that despicable, gold-eyed monster. Thinking of her rejection hurts, cutting into the tender part of his chest that he thinks shouldn’t be soft after so many years of training.

“Thank you for meeting with me, Lieutenant.” Aaron startles, turning to his left where Grand Marshall Raizo has appeared out of thin air. A hawk squawks overhead, disturbing the silence that has blanketed this particular patch of forest.

“You promised me answers. I would be a fool not to take you on such an offer,” Aaron speaks cautiously, his guard up. _Why sneak up on him? Why pick such a far away part of the woods? Was this how Clove felt when she realized she was walking into a trap?_

"Ah, yes, I did. But first, I want to know a little more about you. How long have you worked as the Guard Lieutenant to the Princess?” Raizo’s lips curl up, his eyes lowering to near slits in what Aaron can only assume is meant to be a reassuring, unassuming face.

“I’ve been in this role for nearly 8 years, training for 5 years before that.” Aaron makes sure to give nothing away in his voice, but somehow Raizo still seems to see through him.

"Since childhood then? You must be quite attached to her. I can assure you that I, too, want nothing but the best for our dragon princess.” He pauses, looking directly at Aaron and Aaron nods slowly in confirmation. Apparently satisfied, Raizo continues.

“As I’m sure you have deduced, our soldiers are weak. They need more training and there are not enough of us with the skillset available to train them. With another addition to the royal family, we will need more highly skilled soldiers to serve in defense of the dragons. What do you think about serving as Head Trainer of the Royal Crimson Guard?”

Aaron’s breath stops. _This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. I won’t have to leave Clove!_

“You would, of course, be consulted for the dragons’ protection services. I trust that you would want to be available for Princess Clove?” Aaron’s heart beats fast in his chest as he considers the man before him. Raizo’s aura radiates strength and to another man might be intimidating, but all Aaron can feel is gratitude for this chance to be close to Clove again.

"I will have to speak with my captain, but consider me interested,” Aaron replies gruffly.

“Worry not about your captain, I can handle it from here. Welcome to the Guard. From now on, you will be reporting to General Rei.” At Aaron’s noise of protest, Raizo smiles magnanimously and continues “It would look suspicious if I spend too much time with a new recruit. I promise you that you’ll be in good hands. My niece has never disappointed.” With that, he nods his head slightly and vanishes back the way he came, leaving Aaron to wonder what he has gotten himself into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sexual tension is ~rising ~ and man it's weirdly easier to get into Aaron's head than Kyro's. Comment your favorite moments below (and/or things you want to see!) 
> 
> Excited to say that I've come up with an outline for the rest of this story and it looks like it'll be around 8 chapters :)


	3. Discovery

After that night, they fall into an easy routine. Most mornings Clove awakes to an empty bed as Kyro is often up before dawn, using the cover of dusk to exercise in his dragon form. He confessed to her one morning, when she awoke to see him dressing in the dim morning light, that he likes this time of day best because he can be truly alone. His face had looked wistful, as if remembering a faraway time, and Clove made a mental note to ask him about it some time. On the rare mornings when she wakes up to Kyro’s back, her arm draped over his hip and face pressing against him, she quickly separates herself and pretends not to notice how his shoulders tense when she withdraws. On those mornings it’s hard not to think about their bruising kiss, how he ignited her insides and made her crave for more… the trouble is, she’s not sure what “more” entails, and there really isn’t time to think about it because from breakfast until sundown, her time is not her own. 

During the day, their paths rarely cross outside of holding court or attending war meetings. It seems there is always somewhere Kyro is needed and Clove, too, has responsibilities. She is the tour guide for the Azure clan elders, showing them the palace they have allied themselves with. Over meals she reassures her uncle again and again that there is no need to dissolve the alliance over the Empress’ sickness. She refuses to speak with him about the details of her growing powers; his doubtful questions cloud her self-confidence. The time draws near for her clansmen to leave and say their goodbyes, but Aaron is avoiding her. Clove wants to clear the air, but every time she tries to catch his eye, he turns away. When she visits the stables, he is conspicuously missing. The clock ticking, she begins to grow desperate. Exasperated one afternoon after a painstaking meal with her uncle, she pulls Nouren aside. 

“Nouren, please, I need your help,” Clove beseeches him. 

“If this is about Aaron, I’m not sure I can do anything for you,” he quips, arms crossed. Clove frowns, annoyed. _Since when did I get on Nouren’s bad side?_

“I only want to speak with him before he leaves. Some things were said and… well… I can’t let him go on these terms,” Clove admits, hoping her honesty will soften Nouren. _For all the years I’ve known him, he still puts up this front._

Nouren’s amethyst eyes search hers, but he doesn’t seem to find whatever he’s looking for. He sighs aggravatedly, head bent, muttering to himself in annoyance. Clove thinks she hears him say “not my problem”, but she can’t be sure. She waits. She has a lot of practice with waiting. 

Finally he raises his head, jaw working as if he can’t decide whether it’s better or worse to speak his mind to her. 

“Go to the training grounds. West side of the palace. You can’t miss him,” his tone has a strange edge to it but Clove ignores it, turning to go. 

“Clove!” He calls out, stopping her in her tracks. She looks back over her shoulder, eyebrow raised as if to say _go on_. 

“Just… don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Nouren intones, as if this is meaningful. Clove blinks in confusion - _why would he say that?_ \- and nods her assent. 

*******

Aaron’s arms ache as he repeats the same training drill he’s been teaching for days. _Shoulders hip width apart, arms out in front holding the staff. Hit on 1, 2, 3, 4. Return to starting posture. Continue until you cannot hold the staff any longer_.

One of the silver linings of this job is that it gives him an excuse to stay as far away from Clove as possible while he tries to sort through the anger and hurt clouding his judgment. Immediately after accepting the position as Head Trainer of the Crimson Guard, Aaron moved out of the guest quarters into the barracks. Nouren showed up not long after that, red in the face, ready for a fight.

“How could you join the enemy? Our people need you Aaron, more than she does right now. You’re one of the best warriors we have. If anything goes wrong with the alliance, you should be fighting for us!” 

Aaron’s eyes squeeze shut as he remembers the torrent of arguments Nouren had unleashed on him when he found out about his new position. Aaron had expected as much, given that Nouren loved to criticize his decisions. Still, it stung to have his selfishness laid out so clearly. He hadn’t even tried to defend himself, instead letting Nouren exhaust himself arguing. It was perhaps the first time Aaron had managed to keep his temper in check while engaging with Nouren. They hadn’t spoken since, only nodding in cool acknowledgement when they overlapped at meal times. With his new duties, Aaron rarely had time to attend meals, but he found it easier this way. He didn’t have to face Clove’s confusion, or Nouren’s distaste. 

One of the trainees waves his hand frantically, drawing Aaron’s attention. Aaron notices Clove approaching from the palace, her red locks piled atop her head, making her look every inch the future Crimson Queen. He swallows, recalling her wedding updo, how any hope he had for them died when he watched her take her vows. 

“Lieutenant… a word, please,” Clove calls out his old title, making Aaron grimace. _This conversation is going to be painful._

“Take five and then start running. Ten laps, last one to finish will be on stable duty for the week,” Aaron calls out, authority ringing in his voice as the trainees groan in response. He strides across the field towards Clove, stopping short of grabbing her sleeve and instead motioning for her to follow him to a more secluded area. They stop under a large oak tree, branches swinging low and providing moderate cover.

Aaron’s eyes drink her in greedily, even as he swallows in discomfort at the fire in her eyes.

“You’ve been avoiding me. I had to find out from _Nouren_ where to find you,” Clove accuses flatly.

“I’ve been busy,” Aaron replies shortly. 

“Why are you wearing that uniform?” Clove keeps her voice even, eyeing his red training uniform suspiciously. 

“Ah… it’s part of my new role,” he pauses, but Clove’s lips are pressed together tightly, waiting for him to go on. “I’ve accepted a position as Head Trainer of the Crimson Guard. I’ll be staying on for the foreseeable future.”

_What?!_

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I-I…” Aaron stammers, unsure how to reply. He had known she would find out eventually, but he wasn’t ready to explain. “It’s really none of your business anymore, Clove.” 

His words are a slap to the face, and Clove physically recoils, fists clenching. _I’ve never felt further away from you._

“What are you hoping to achieve here, Aaron? Because the way I see it, you’re betraying your people to train warriors for a war that’s already over, when you could be returning home as a hero. You could be rebuilding- ” 

“I never asked to be a hero!” Aaron cuts her off. _I only wanted to have you by my side_. Panicked, Aaron realizes he needs to end this conversation fast. 

“I never asked for your opinion, _princess_.” He emphasizes the word princess, making it dirty in his mouth. 

“Why don’t you run along to your crimson prince? I’m sure the beast misses you. Tell me, are you still drawn to him? Or has he already _satisfied_ your curiosity? I heard the wedding night was quite a spectacle.” The words catch in his throat, bitterness filling his chest. 

Clove grinds her teeth in an effort to contain the rage coursing through her veins. _How dare he insult us like that._

The temperature drops and the tree’s branches shake violently as a sudden wind grips them. Aaron is staring at her with horror on his face - wait, that’s not right, it’s almost as if he’s staring _past_ her, eyes fixated slightly beyond her face. _What is he seeing?_

“I’ll see you around,” Clove bites out icily, not noticing the head of her dragon looming over her, breathing gusts of icy wind into the air. She strides away violently, willing herself to hold her head high and keep her face neutral as running soldiers glance curiously in their direction.

*******

That day Clove doesn’t make it back to her chambers for dinner with Kyro. She goes on a walk to clear her head, then takes a long bath, requesting her maids let her bathe by herself so she can have more time to think. 

_It was childish to think he would forgive my choices or understand them. Can I blame him? A month and a half ago I was convinced the Crimson Dragon was a monster too. But still… joining their ranks? Training their soldiers? This feels like a betrayal._ To her surprise, tears prick at her eyes and she grinds her palms into them, hoping to stem the flow before it begins. _There’s no point wasting my tears on him. If he wants to be spiteful, let him be._ As angry as she is, she can’t deny a sense of relief coursing through her knowing that Aaron isn’t going anywhere. Maybe with time, they can bridge this gap between them… 

_Yeah, maybe if he apologizes. What was he thinking, making a suggestion like that?_ Indignation rises in her chest as she remembers his words, how poisonous he was. _Why does the Crimson Army need a new trainer anyhow, with the war ending?_

A knock at the door interrupts her inner monologue.

“Mai, I told you, I don’t need any assistance!” Clove calls out. 

“It’s me,” Kyro replies, and Clove jumps in surprise. Sinking lower into her bath, she considers. _Do I invite him in?_

When Clove fails to respond, he opens the door and strides in. His hand covers his eyes, but even without vision Kyro can tell Clove is embarrassed.

“Kyro, I’m not decent right now! Can’t it wait?” Her voice is shrill, making Kyro chuckle.

“I wanted to know why you missed out on dinner,” he answers easily, slowly lowering his hand to search for a maid stool to sit on. 

“Ah, that. I apologize for not giving notice beforehand, I had a… difficult afternoon. Needed some time to myself,” Clove explains softly, voice tapering away with an unmistakable note of frustration. _One of those days, then,_ Kyro muses, surprised it took this long for Clove to lose her cool. Being in charge was exhausting. 

“Want to talk about it?” 

“That would be nice,” Clove is surprised by how much she actually wants to talk to Kyro. “You can, uh, open your eyes now. And come closer if you want to.”

Kyro smirks as he takes her in. The bathtub isn’t particularly deep, and it’s nothing compared to the bathhouse he uses, but it’s large enough to cover most of Clove’s body. Her knees peek out, flushed pink from the heat of the bath and a few bubbles float around. Her hair is dark crimson when it’s wet, he observes, and thinks about pulling it back from where it’s sticking to her shoulders. _Gorgeous._ He drags the stool over to sit by her, reaching his hand out to trace her arm where it lies on the tub.

“Mmm, you look good, Clove,” Kyro doesn’t try to hide the longing in his voice. They still haven’t done much more than snuggle since that kiss - something he doubts she would admit to, but he delights in. He catches her looking at him often -- especially when he’s undressing for the night. She thinks he doesn’t notice that her hands linger for longer on his chest, that she sits closer with every meal, that she pauses for a few more moments each morning before turning away. He doesn’t think he’s misinterpreting her looks… even if she’s brushing him off right now. 

With a roll of her eyes, she pointedly ignores his compliment - she’s not in the mood tonight. Her frustration is still humming under her skin, ready to ignite at a moment’s notice. 

“Did you know Aaron is the new Head Trainer of the Crimson Guard?” 

Kyro raises a brow. _Wasn’t expecting that one_.

“I had no idea, though it isn’t the first time there’s been a change without me knowing. I’m sure the Grand Marshall is responsible, he’s the only one with the authority to grant new military positions.” Clove nods, taking it in.

“Why do you think he would do that? I mean, it’s weird, right?” Clove bites her lip and Aaron resists the urge to groan. _Does she know what she’s doing to me?_

“I can’t say for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he knows how… attached Aaron is to you and wants to take advantage of that somehow.”

“But Head Trainer? Is that position really necessary when we’re transitioning to peace right now?” Clove criticizes, annoyance rising in her as she verbalizes what she’s been feeling since leaving Aaron cowering on the training field. 

Kyro sometimes forgets how naive she can be, how much she still has to learn about how this country works - how war works. It’s hard to remember when she presents herself so fiercely by his side. 

“Clove, you have to realize that even if we are not at war any longer, our country will need an army. We may not put as many resources towards it, but it will continue to exist. For three centuries, our nation’s identity has been wrapped up in war, in creating warriors. That won’t change in a day. Our army is a symbol of strength, power and protection to our people. Even the promise of peace cannot change that, and it would be unwise to appear unprepared for possible fights in the future,” Kyro explains gently.

“I see where you’re coming from, but Kyro, do you honestly believe that peace is achievable if we are always preparing for the inevitability of conflict? What kind of message does it send to our people if men are still being trained to inflict pain? Who are we protecting with this army?” She retorts. Before he can fully process her response, she keeps going, her face becoming animated as she remarks “And before you answer that, consider how this will look to _my_ people. In our eyes, you have colonized and conquered our lands with little regard for protecting the common people. Your power and strength is oppressive, your army vicious and cruel. The only way this perception will change is if we take concrete action to dismantle the army that has caused so much needless suffering for both sides.” 

Kyro’s eyes blaze gold as his dragon stirs, sensing a threat. _Dismantle the army? So we can be weak only for you to turn around and bite us when we’re low? I think not._ The haze of his dragon’s indignation would blind him if he weren’t so used to letting the dragon’s words wash over him, in one ear and out the other so he could ponder how he really felt without its influence.

“That may very well be true, but the generals aren’t happy as it is with this alliance. It would be unrealistic to expect our army to dissolve, and the systems and people that have kept it in place will fight back,” Kyro warns, remembering the conversations of de-escalation that abruptly ended upon his brother’s death in battle. He had been too young then to find anything about that suspicious, but knowing what he does now… it’s very possible his brother’s death wasn’t purely chance. 

“Kyro, I don’t understand. As royalty, shouldn’t it be you deciding these things?” Clove’s face knits together, her eyebrows puckering adorably as Kyro watches her try to work out the unfailingly incomprehensible workings of politics in the Crimson Kingdom.

“It hasn’t been that way for a long time, princess.” Clove recoils suddenly, pulling her arms in tight and spilling bath water in the process.

Concerned, Kyro asks, “What’s wrong?” 

“It’s not you, it’s that word. Earlier with Aaron… well, he may have used it slightly differently,” Clove explains, trying not to read too much into the possessive glare appearing on Kyro’s face. If she didn’t know any better, she would think he feels like he owns the word.

“What exactly did he say to you on the training grounds, Clove?” At her hesitation, he sharply reminds her: “Rule 1 of the contract is honesty.”

“It’s really not a big deal. He insinuated some things about us, and how you’ve been…” Clove trails off, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. 

“How I’ve been _what,_ ” growls Kyro, his dragon alert and whispering foul words in his head. 

“Just, how you are in bed. With me. And, ah, whether or not you’ve been… meeting expectations. It was crass, and I didn’t expect it coming from him. But I’ve heard worse, and I’m sure I’ll weather worse in the future, so please, take that murderous expression off your face,” Clove pleads even as a shiver goes down her spine at Kyro’s intense gaze. She squirms uncomfortably in the mild bath water, feeling… _oh God, am I really getting turned on right now?_

Kyro leans over, face dangerously closer to hers. His arms are braced against the tub’s walls as his lips trace a path from her temple to the curve of her ear and pause. 

“I assure you, Clove, that when the time comes, there will be no question of whether or not I can meet expectations.” With that, his lips butterfly from her ear to the corner of her mouth, resting so lightly that she wouldn’t know he was there if not for the sound of his breathing. Clove’s eyes have fluttered shut, but they jump open when she feels his mouth at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, tongue lavishing her damp skin. It feels good, better than good, and she sighs happily, ignoring the warning bells going off throughout her body. It’s been too long since he’s kissed her, and she should really be questioning his timing but it feels too good, so she settles for weakly pushing his head away from her throat. A halfhearted attempt at stopping. It only serves to propel him to claim her lips, his tongue swiping to part her lips and tugging the lower one into his mouth to suck. 

Clove gives in to the kiss, feeling the stress and uncertainty and confusion of the past few weeks give way under his ministrations. Her hands act without her permission, leaping up to cup his cheeks and tug the short hairs at the back of his head. Experimentally, she allows herself to moan into his mouth softly. When he doesn’t immediately pull away, she lets herself get louder, the moan rising above the sound of sloppy kissing. It’s only when Clove tugs Kyro a little closer to her, causing him to lose his balance and nearly fall into the tub with her, that he withdraws, lips shining and eyes gleaming. 

“Now, _princess_ ,” the word is dangerous on his tongue, “let’s get you out of this cold bath water and into bed.” He gets up abruptly, proceeding to leave the room as if he hadn’t just been kissing her unceasingly for the past several minutes. 

Clove’s stomach growls, reminding her that she still hasn’t eaten, and a whine emerges from her mouth. _Why can’t anything be simple with this man?_

*******

“Uncle, I don’t need protection! For the umpteenth time, I am safe here. Prince Kyro has no ulterior motives,” Clove declares heatedly. The time has come for the Azure clan to leave, but of course her uncle has to get one last jab in during their final meal together.

“Perhaps, but there’s no harm in having extra people here looking out for you. And Clove, before you argue, I had this clause approved by the Empress herself. Captain Nouren will stay on as your personal guard until the Coronation, at which point it will be up to you to discharge the Captain,” Uncle declares, hands clasped firmly before him on the table.

Behind him, Nouren coughs awkwardly into his fist. It’s not his first time sitting through a power struggle between these two. _God I can’t wait until this isn’t my life anymore_ , he thinks to himself acidically. Just when he thinks it can’t get more awkward, Princess Kharis inserts herself into the conversation - _because of course she does, when isn’t she inserting herself where she doesn’t belong?_ \- and insists that the Empress is unwell and shouldn’t be approving any additional clauses without a second stamp of approval by herself or Prince Kyro.

Clove’s uncle shoots Kharis an unimpressed look at that, but concedes (because she is a princess, and he is a guest) her point.

“Well? Do you disapprove, Princess Kharis?” She tugs Clove’s sleeve and bends to whisper something into her ear, giving Nouren an eyeful down her dress in the process. _Jesus, this woman has no shame_ and Nouren tries to make himself believe he hates that about her, but instead remembers the intensity of her eyes on his during the wedding and- God, he’s missed something, suddenly everyone is nodding briskly and leaving the room and it’s just him and the Princess left standing. 

Princess Kharis shoots him a wink as she moves away and calls “See you later, handsome!”

 _Guess I’m staying then._ If anyone asks, he’s definitely not blushing. 

*******

Once the Azure clan has cleared out, Clove is mostly left to her own devices. She fills her time with studying -- she has _so much_ to learn about the kingdom she will be Queen to, and then there are the scrolls from the Empress. With Kyro constantly in meetings and the Empress on bedrest, in and out of sleep, Clove seeks Kharis’ help to decipher them. 

“Okay, close your eyes and inhale for six counts. Pause, then exhale for twelve… good girl, keep going. Now picture your dragon. See it sleeping. Can you see it?” 

Clove waits, eyes scrunched shut as she tries to visualize the Azure Dragon that has been cropping up so frequently in her dreams. Another minute and… nothing. Again. With a sigh of frustration, Clove opens her eyes and groans.

“No luck?” Kharis cooes sympathetically, as if she could possibly understand the frustration Clove feels. _Okay, maybe a little uncalled for, but this is the fourth day in a row we’ve tried this exercise and nothing has happened._ At Clove’s miserable expression, she leaps across the rug they’re sitting on to grab her hands.

“Come sweetness, let’s take a break. Focus on something else for a while. Tell me, how are things going between you and my dear brother?” Kharis’ face is arranged innocently, but Clove knows her well enough now to see right through her act. Rolling her eyes, she moves out of her cross-legged position to flop back dramatically on the cushions.

“Things are… fine. Good, actually- ” Kharis shoots her an unimpressed look and Clove swallows nervously. “Well, there is one thing that could be better, but I’m not sure how to… approach it?” Clove’s voice trails off as she sinks into her cushions, face blazing in a way that tells Kharis everything she needs to know.

“Ahhh, I see. Of course my brother talks a big talk but can’t walk the walk. Why am I not surprised? Boys, they’re all the same. They act so big but take them to bed, and man, they have no idea what they’re doing!” Kharis exclaims dramatically, laughing a little at Clove’s stricken expression. 

“What- no- that’s-” Clove sputters, face turning progressively redder. 

“Aw don’t worry sweetheart, your secret is safe with me! I promise it’s nothing to be worried about, plenty of men do better with a little direction,” and then Kharis winks at her like _she has given directions before. Oh god,_ Clove realizes, _is this yet another thing that I somehow missed growing up in the Cerulean Kingdom? Is it normal behavior for women to speak openly about sex?_

Blinking rapidly, Clove manages to choke out “No, that’s actually not the problem,” before turning over and burying her beet-red face into the nearest cushion. 

_Please let this be a nightmare. Maybe if I wait here long enough we can pretend this conversation never happened. Kind of like how Kyro pretends I don’t snuggle him every night._ For the first time, Clove wishes Kharis was a little more like her brother. Suddenly Kharis’ hand is on her shoulder, shaking her slightly, interrupting her internal panic attack. 

“Clove, whatever it is, you can tell me. I promise I may seem like a gossip but I would never share anything you tell me in confidence. There’s nothing you can tell me that would make me think less of you.”

Peeking one eye out slowly, Clove squints at Kharis assessingly. _I do really need help figuring out what to do with Kyro, and she is his brother. She definitely knows him better than I do._ Sighing, Clove rolls over and tries to stifle the embarrassment and shame sitting on her chest.

“Kyro and I… we haven’t actually… there’s been no consummation of the, uh, wedding.”

Kharis stares at her in confusion. “What do you mean? The elders were there, all the maids gossiped the next day…” she trails off, mouth opening in disbelief. “You mean to tell me that was all a show? You two still haven’t had sex, even after all this time sharing a bed?!” 

Clove winces. “When you put it that way, it sounds really pathetic. It’s not that I don’t want to, I just, well okay maybe I don’t _want to_ but I’m not opposed! I’ve just never done it before and Kyro’s so busy we scarcely see each other save for night time, and I’m always so tired, and he never tries anything with me so maybe he’s not interested? Which is kind of a requirement for the whole needing-an-heir thing,” Clove stops, gulping in air. Kharis makes no move to talk, so she continues venting, relief rising in her throat as she finally admits what’s been weighing so heavily on her.

“Sometimes he makes these eyes at me and I think maybe he wants to kiss me, which I would actually really like, but then it’s as if something shuts off and nothing happens. He’s gone practically every morning training, and even though I’ve been getting… closer… at night, he keeps pulling back.”

“Has anything physical happened between you two at all? You certainly seem close in public,” Kharis quips dryly, referencing the last court session they held when Clove had ended up practically in Kyro’s lap to appease a skeptical merchant. 

“We’ve kissed a couple times, and it’s been good but every time I get… excited, he backs off. And then pretends nothing happened,” Clove’s sour expression lets Kharis know exactly how she feels about that.

“Have you ever considered that maybe he’s waiting for you to make a move on him?” Kharis points out. 

“Well… no. In my culture, it’s traditional for the man to initiate. Are things not the same here?”

“No no, it’s the same misogynistic bullshit here, but sweetness, my brother isn’t like most men. He may put on a brash, flirtatious act in public, but he would never touch a woman if he wasn’t sure she wanted it first. Have you been clear with him about what you want?”

Clove is speechless, thinking through her many interactions with Kyro and realizing that no, she hasn’t ever explicitly told him that she wants him _like that_. 

“How do I tell him what I want without embarrassing myself?” 

“Oh Clove… I highly doubt you could embarrass yourself with my brother. You may not have noticed but the way he looks at you, only an idiot would think he doesn’t want a piece of that action. I take it you’re a virgin?” Clove’s mouth drops open in shock. 

“Are all women like you? So…” Clove cuts herself off, not wanting to offend Kharis, but she only laughs at Clove’s question.

“So uncouth? Unladylike? No, but as a princess with command of the Crimson Dragon, I’m allowed a certain degree of freedom to speak my mind. And there is so much ridiculous stigma around sex in this palace! I’m not interested in perpetuating it. So tell me, how inexperienced are you?”

“You have to understand, I grew up mostly alone after my mother passed. Most of the men were away at war and I had no maids taking care of me. I was constantly surrounded by guards, so I never really had much opportunity to gain experience.”

Kharis frowns. _Well that explains a lot._

“What about you? Have you had, um, a lot of experience?” Clove asks shyly. A delighted giggle fills the room as Kharis leaps up so fluidly Clove forgets she was sitting beside her a moment ago. 

“It’s been a while since I had someone new to share with! Let’s see, first there was Khaleesi when I was about 11. She was my maid for a time and she would make these endearing faces and pretend she wasn’t watching me when I dressed. She must have only been a couple years older than me but my god, she was beautiful. When I finally convinced her to help me change, it only took a few times before I got her in bed with me and we tussled in the sheets. We didn’t do much more than kissing and heavy petting, mind you, but it was glorious. And then there was Kieran, he was a soldier and I caught him eyeing me up one day when I was training. Normally the soldiers are scared of me or disgusted by me, but I could tell he was aroused and it wasn’t very hard to convince him to bed me. Then there was my dancing partner, Mai - not the same Mai, Clove, though she’s lovely too - and a few other nameless people during my journeys into town.” 

“Wow. That’s… a lot. So… you like women and men?” Clove hopes she’s not being impudent asking such a personal question, but she’s never heard of such a thing before. 

“Women, men, really anyone who can keep up with me and see me as a full person and not a weapon has a chance to lay with me,” Kharis shrugs her dainty shoulder, grinning brazenly at Clove’s poorly hidden expression of awe. “I hope I’m not scaring you off, dear. Just rest assured that if you need help with the art of seduction, I am up to the task. Consider me your go-to study buddy.”

“Right. Okay. So, let’s say hypothetically I want to bed Kyro. What would be the first step to making my intentions known?” 

_Hypothetically. This woman is too much_ , Kharis thinks to herself fondly, enjoying the turn their study session has taken.

“Start simple. Give him the ‘go’ signal over dinner. Sit close to him, rub his knee, maybe try feeding him. Only a fool would misinterpret those signals, and my brother is many things but he’s not a fool. If he asks, tell him that there’s something you’ve been wanting to try, and then kiss him. Once you set the pace, he’ll follow, trust me,” and with that, Kharis offers her hand to pull Clove up from where she lies sprawled on the rug. 

“This was fun, but I should be heading out. Promised to go over some things with Nouren,” Kharis winks slyly, emphasizing Nouren’s name as if trying to insinuate something else. _Since when did those two spend time together_ , Clove ponders, nearly missing the last thing Kharis calls out to her.

“Oh and dear, before we meet again for one of these sessions, I highly suggest you ask my brother to take you training with him in the morning. In truth, he’s probably a better teacher than I am when it comes to the art of meditation… that is, if you two can focus enough to get anything done!”

* * *

Author's Note:  
  


Thank you to everyone who has left Kudos, comments, and bookmarks- your support keeps me going! I think Kharis is my new favorite character to write. #BiQueenz 

Edit: I'm sorry the next chapter is taking so long! I'm having writer's block. In the meantime, please check out my Clove/Kyro one-shot AU "Something New"


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